Public relations is defined as a strategic tool which dynamically allows a strategic company to turn sleaze into profit. Dynamically. This is PR Dummies. Taking advantage of you, the consumer, every week.

When the Aurora massacre occurred, there was a respectful silent period in which no one tried to exploit the tragedy or their own gain. That's all over. Why not honor the victims properly, by turning their deaths into sales of "The first and only system empowering you to make your campus or workplace as safe as possible?" In the past, it's been mandatory that your campus or workplace be unsafe—until now.

Are you over-reacting or, worse yet, under-reacting?
 From: John Byrnes
To: Unfortunate recipients

In the aftermath of the Movie Massacre by James Holmes, whether we are in higher education or private/public industry; once again, we all becoming acutely aware of our need to protect our perspective constituencies: students, faculty, staff, employees or customers. Although this horrific event occurred in a privately owned but very public place, we are already seeing the media and attorney's focusing on the University of Colorado for culpability. What did they know, or more specifically, what should they have known? Colorado is a "duty to warn" state; requiring, behavioral intervention team members, psychiatrists and/or psychologists, to warn perspective victims.

Juxtaposed to the James Holmes incident is Henry Liu. According to The Oregonian, "a promising graduate student in Portland State University's conflict resolution program. He had excellent grades, with law school on the horizon. But his academic career swiftly derailed last spring after he confided to a classmate that he was upset with a faculty member and mentioned guns in the same conversation." Mr. Liu has denied making this statement but based upon the unsubstantiated representation of one person and no unlawful activity, he has been expelled from PSU and his future severely compromised.

These two contrasts are vivid reminders of our duty to protect our constituencies from harm, yet not destroy their futures based upon hearsay. When Dr. Claire Good and Kenna Middleton of EKU (Eastern Kentucky University) made their presentation at NaBITA (National Behavioral Intervention Team Association) on CAPS (Critical Aggression Prevention System), they pointed out two grand errors made within higher education. Colleges or universities are too often overreacting or, worse yet, underreacting, both dilemmas that CAPS addresses, making the process more objective, deliberate and timely. CAPS's forensic process making their legal department very happy, according to EKU, and provides a safer campus.

Today's workplaces, schools, campuses, healthcare facilities, and religious organizations are very challenging environments. Leaders, managers and administrators are faced with ever increasing demands to protect employees, faculty, staff, students, and visitors ....... at a time when aggressive behavior is becoming more common and budgets are under extreme pressure.

Established in 1993, the Center for Aggression Management exists to prevent violence and has developed real-world answers to these concerns.

1. We do this by providing training and systems that allows users to recognize and respond to aggressors in time to be PREVENTATIVE.

2. We are the FIRST and ONLY organization that focuses on EMERGING aggression; determined to be the only known effective means to get out in front of a violent incident.

3. We also have developed revolutionary techniques for recognizing the COGNITIVE AGGRESSOR (the aggression of someone who intends to perpetrate murder and/or murder/suicide), instead of only the PRIMAL AGGRESSOR (the aggressor who is losing control).

Our focus is training and systems for recognizing emerging aggression in others and intervening before that aggression progresses to more advanced and damaging stages. Let me encourage you to view our 3-mintue CAPS Impact movie, which explains how: www.AggressionManagement.com/movie/

Thank you for taking the time to learn an important solution.

Sincerely,

John D. Byrnes, Founder and CEO
Center for Aggression Management
View our 3 minute movie about the Critical Aggression Prevention System

It's what the victims would have wanted.

[Send your own PR Dummies nominations here.]

Image by Amália Nagyillés, source photos via Getty and Shutterstock.